Kelley: Revised Nuisance Lawsuit Bill Signed By Governor

At left: with eighth-graders from Marion C. Early school

Thank you all so much for allowing me to represent the 126^th district, it’s been my honor to serve you here in Jefferson City.

The pace has markedly picked up the last week of Session. We were told to expect it to be hectic as everyone scrambles to beat the deadline of 6:00 pm Friday. Those predictions came true as legislators hurried from committee meetings to floor debate to private meetings hoping to get their list of priorities passed. Adding to the activity are conference committee meetings taking place as compromises between the House and Senate are reached.

This time of year, when a bill is passed by the legislature, it is usually not sent to the Governor right away. This gives him ample time to review the bills before making a decision whether to sign or veto them. The Speaker of the House and President Pro Tem of the Senate will each come back to Jefferson City after session ends for the purpose of signing bills that passed. They will each sign the bills that originated in their respective chambers. Then they will trade and sign the bills from the other chamber. They finally go to the Governor.

Breaking from this tradition, the legislature sent SB187 to the Governor’s desk this week. This is the bill which helps protect farmers from being sued simply for going about the business of farming. This issue has recently become more urgent as an out of state attorney has come into Missouri for the purpose of bringing lawsuits against livestock producers. In one case he convinced a person who has lived next to a family hog farm since 1963 to sue the hog farm. The family farm has been there since the 1800’s but this family still must defend themselves from a needless lawsuit. I am amazed at how we have a shortage of jobs and economic development, yet when someone invests money and create jobs, they get sued.

Governor Nixon had originally vetoed HB209 which was the companion bill to SB187 over a couple minor issues. Since SB187 had already passed the Senate, we made the changes Governor Nixon wanted and sent it back to the Senate. They passed it with the new language and sent it straight to his desk where he promptly signed it.

Any bill not passed by 6:00 pm Friday dies at that point and can no longer be considered. Lawmakers will head home until Veto Session convenes in September when Regular Session begins again in January, bills will be introduced and the process started anew.

This week I had the privilege to meet the eighth grade class from Marion C. Early from Morrisville. They came up to the capitol for their annual field trip, I took them to the top of the dome and showed them around the capitol building. I was able to introduce them on the House floor and they got to watch their legislators decide the laws of their state.